Christ the Center focuses on Reformed Christian theology. In each episode a group of informed panelists discusses important issues in order to encourage critical thinking and a better understanding of Reformed doctrine with a view toward godly living. Browse more episodes from this program and learn how to subscribe.

5 Responses

Some friendly criticism: this podcast seems to have lost some of its mojo.

Some friendly advice: don’t be afraid of going over the basics of biblical doctrine over and over. It’s not boring, and it’s not unnecessary.

Most people don’t care about the history of this or that micro denomination. Inside baseball church history has no meaning for me as a Christian on the spiritual battlefield.

The whole world of pastors and seminary culture and church culture come across as empty to street level Christians engaged in spiritual warfare.

For instance, inspire me to read great works (i.e. give me a sense why Owen’s Glory of Christ is worth reading beyond what I may think it is about, and I could have obviously used numerous other examples). Re-impress on my mind the foundational meaning of basic biblical doctrines.

Cleric/layperson language and attitude is empty and shallow. It feeds juvenile intellectual vanity. Assume your audience is smarter than you and more knowledgeable than you. Too many Christian educators and leaders are talking to their audiences like they’re talking to Kindergartners. This podcast has never really suffered from this particular thing, but I’ve sensed recently, as a certain person closes in on a Ph.D, that it’s moving in that direction.

Could you describe more of what you mean regarding “Cleric/layperson language and attitude”? You say this podcast hasn’t suffered from that in the past, but now it may be tending in that direction. I presume you’re speaking of me—though Jim Cassidy, David Filson, and Jonathan Brack are also completing PhDs.

You want us to speak more and more about the basics, but it seems you also want us to speak at a higher, perhaps more technical, level. Help me understand.

I guess since I did state that your podcast really doesn’t suffer from that particular affliction what I was probably saying was I hope Camden Bucey doesn’t go all Michael Horton on us and start speaking to us like we’re Kindergartners.

As for basics, I really don’t see them as only to be spoken about in a manner to beginners, so I guess I disagree that one can’t discuss basics of doctrine in more and more depth.

I read Human Nature in its Fourfold State and came away with an understanding of the wrath of God I didn’t have before, even though I knew of the fact of the wrath of God. It’s that that theologians can do for people on the basics.

I don’t want to sound like I’m insisting on producing your show though.

The thing that made me write to begin with was I really have thought the fare recently has been a bit light. I like checking every Friday and seeing a 70 min. interview of someone who has written a book on the atonement, or what is the intermediate state, or why can’t people see the republication of the Covenant of Works on Sinai without overcomplicating it, or Vos, or even bad theology (Barth, whoever) . This is what is in the archives, and I was wondering if the show has taken a new turn.

I’m over-complaining too, because the difference I’m seeing is micro rather than macro, if it exists…

As for cleric vs. layperson type language, as a classical, Reformation era Protestant I find it to be out-of-place all the time. Christians are prophets, priests, and kings. In everything. Not lay people.